Chapter 96
Chapter 96
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Guild Master Isn't Enough With Just the Game
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I stared blankly at Yugeon's words before petting Hellcannon's head, which looked even more dejected.
Hellcannon seemed even more deflated by Yugeon's shocking true identity.
Yugeon snapped at Hellcannon.
"Who are you jealous of?! Do you think I'd be here if I hadn't been discarded?! Compare apples to apples!"
Hellcannon flinched.
Just like that blackened flesh constellation, Yugeon apparently had a subtle attitude of looking down on humans as a constellation.
I let out a sigh and said,
"Don't yell at my favorite—no, at Hellcannon. Honestly, even I'm feeling overwhelmed."
"Why you?"
"You're ultimately a weapon I can only use to the extent of my own capabilities. Hearing about your potential makes me think I need to push myself harder instead of settling here."
The Babel Tower was a wild card, but having already faced a major crisis at low levels, I didn't feel too worried about the gates.
So I'd been taking it easy, thinking I just needed to practice skills and grind to max level.
But now, I needed to think more seriously about the war being prepared on this land that Yugeon had told me about.
"Kaisha-nim..."
Hellcannon and Yugeon looked at me with eyes that seemed strangely moved.
What?
Before I could ask, Yugeon spoke.
"You're really cool."
"I've been lost in weak thoughts. I'll strive even harder to become someone Kaisha-nim isn't ashamed of."
"Me too."
I had no idea how we'd reached that conclusion, but unlike before, their expressions now looked resolute.
If it was good, then it was good...
I'd just said what I thought, so which part had moved them?
Ding!
『A sudden quest has occurred due to Yugeon's request and Babel Tower's approval.』
『<Quest> Yugeon's Gratitude』
『You have completed the quest.』
What?
The quest popped up and completed instantly?
『<Quest> Yugeon's Gratitude
-This is a sudden quest.
-You have moved the 'Owner of the Weapon' and won their heart. In return, the 'Owner of the Weapon' provides information as a reward.
[Completion Reward]
-Limited permission for 'Heavenly Leakage'』
『Babel Tower sends the basic rule template to Yugeon. Refusal may result in forced expulsion.』
A window appeared in front of Yugeon.
"Hmph."
Yugeon pouted her lips and permitted Babel Tower's transmission.
At that moment, my phone rang.
Viiiing—
The caller was Gilgamesh.
He must have called back because the previous call had been quite urgent.
I wasn't sure what it was, but with gates opening across the country, maybe I'd been too cold hanging up.
The moment I answered, Gilgamesh spoke in a dissatisfied tone.
["Hey. You said you'd call right back."]
"Was it urgent?"
["Spaceking got into it with the military. Not urgent?"]
"!"
I could hear Gilgamesh grumbling through the phone.
"What's the situation?"
["The military smelled money and came running."]
"The military? Why?"
["Military bigwigs found out gates mean huge cash. Need any bigger reason?"]
"..."
Reality suddenly hit me hard.
Ah, right. This was that kind of world.
With that calm realization, I listened to Gilgamesh.
["Dart's some higher-up's kid, right? So the military brass thought they could do whatever with Spaceking."]
"Considering Dart's personality, that was a ridiculous fantasy."
["Tell me about it. But Dart's been wracked with guilt over the city war, so he's been letting the military push him around."]
Unbelievable.
Dart, of all people, pushed around by the military.
I'd beaten him in the final siege, but Dart was still Bipa's unchallenged overlord.
"Thought he deserved a scolding, but it pisses me off thinking he's getting played by the military."
["Hunters site's blowing up already."]
'Hunters' was the new name for Goldbunker's hunter site.
It had been the hastily named 'Bipa Shelter' before, but Goldbunker had recently expanded it into a full hunter site and rebranded.
They put hunter articles on the main page and were shaping it into the main hub for the hunter community.
"What's the site vibe?"
["Telling Dart to flip them off. You know it—if Spaceking folds to the military now, all hunters get screwed."]
He was right.
Hunters had just emerged into the world, and despite being heroized, we still lacked real power.
As we'd seen in the city war, armed groups like hunters needed legal protections, direct public authority intervention, and various supports.
But getting steamrolled in power struggles from the start would make hunters look pathetic.
"..."
We needed proper countermeasures, but with Babel Tower entry looming, I couldn't step in right now.
I tapped the sofa while pondering, then decided.
"Wait it out for now."
["You should've called back sooner—huh, what? Not going to the scene? This is huge for Korea's hunters."]
"I know. But a fight already broke out."
["So?"]
"Dart's already exploded. What am I gonna do at the explosion site? Dart knows the military better than we do."
["Hm..."]
Gilgamesh pondered briefly before saying,
["It's not just the military—I'm worried Dart might go too far. In times like these, one slip and hunters turn into demons overnight."]
"Better to draw a line if something goes wrong and clean up separately."
Gilgamesh clicked his tongue at my words.
["Damn, that's Kaisha for you. True, we can't all sink together."]
"It's image diversification. No good getting dragged into emotional brawls, especially family squabbles."
["Fair."]
"And honestly, I doubt Dart loses to the military."
Gilgamesh chuckled at that.
["Shit, hearing it, that bastard held back a ton. If he'd gone full personality, he'd have razed the military already."]
"Yeah. Seeing him feel guilt made me think he's human after all, but it's time to snap back."
A guild master—not even a regular member—letting guilt make him a puppet of a power institution? His guildmates would just die out.
Everyone knew Spaceking had been grinding silently.
["All hunters think the same. Site's yelling for Dark Dart to return. The guy's an asshole strength, but too nice now."]
"Tell me about it."
Dart had been brutally merciless in Midgard, but considering Bipa's war-game format from the start, it wasn't hugely wrong.
Kali used to lament that watching Maya and me confused the genre, so we were the weird ones.
Seeing Fullminak build fame, seize the territory system, and surge ahead, Dart belatedly realized the flaws in extreme fear tactics and tried changing.
But to counter NPCs praying to Fullminak's gods, he had no choice but tyranny.
Dart knew it deep down.
His chosen strategy sucked long-term value.
Politics failed, but his skill making Spaceking Korea's longest #1 guild was real.
Conclusion.
He'd handle it.
Gilgamesh, his thoughts sorted from our chat, said,
["Cool. While Dart fights the military, we grind hard for Babel Tower guild war prep."]
* * *
Spaceking crushed the military and closed Busan's D-rank gate, escalating the conflict.
Goldbunker set up a proxy to acquire a cable broadcast channel. Announcing journalist recruitment for Hunters site lit up online communities.
Fullminak released Abyss teasers and started ads for their new company 'Enter & Hero (E&H)', buying a Gangnam building owned by YM to set up offices.
* * *
『00:00:00』
The countdown ended.
『Channel 1004 has opened.』
『Please enter Babel Tower using your issued ticket.』
Nokhyeon smiled at the alert Babel Tower sent nationwide.
"It's starting."
Nyaaong.
The black cat on his desk responded, its purple eyes glowing.
Nokhyeon petted the cat.
Though a hologram, not a real creature, it rubbed its head against his hand as if feeling it.
Nokhyeon looked up.
His office held several Gentle Knights executives and key personnel for this.
Nokhyeon asked the man standing before his desk.
"Is the broadcast link good?"
"Yes."
"They're unfamiliar with controls, but they'll learn fast. Nail down that Babel Tower broadcast revenue split must be perfect 1:1:1."
"Understood."
As Korea's third power leader, Nokhyeon had connected with Babel Tower and just granted God Gold Babel Tower video transmit rights.
This electronic cat was Babel Tower's transmit channel device.
Impossible with current human tech, but third power's tech plus Babel Tower's quick approval made broadcasting possible.
Condition: perfect three-way revenue split among the three guilds.
Now, people would watch tower events via God Gold.
Quality depending on God Gold's scene picks and framing, of course.
The black hologram cat nyaaonged, purple eyes gleaming.
Nokhyeon said,
"Then we'll head in too. Handle the rest."
"Yes, family head."
"Safe travels."
Nokhyeon nodded to their greetings, then used his entry ticket from the lit inventory.
[(Non-transferable) Use 1 Babel Tower Channel 1004 Entry Ticket?]
[Yes]
Gentle Knights members vanished one by one.
The world siege had begun.
* * *
Facing Babel Tower entry, I hit an unexpected snag.
"One entry ticket..."
"I'm like your possession, so I can enter with yours. Problem's this guy."
At Yugeon's words, Hellcannon looked at me.
I'd meant to pop into Midgard briefly when I had time, but gates erupted and Abyss teaser rushed, so I forgot.
"...I'm fine."
Even saying that, Hellcannon's face said otherwise.
I smiled and said,
"I'll ask Dart."
"!"
"We're on decent terms now, so he'll help."
Better than logging into Midgard and causing variables.
Hellcannon nodded.
"I'll wait."
Before Babel Tower, I glanced at my phone, something popping to mind.
Before the gate, I'd texted Mom online, but this time?
Didn't want to message someone telling me not to shame the family.
Anyway.
"..."
Mom always left me frustrated.
[(Non-transferable) Use 1 Babel Tower Channel 1004 Entry Ticket?]
"See you later."
[Yes]
Using the ticket, my body and Yugeon's wrapped in white light.
Flash!
[Welcome to Babel Tower.]
[Kaisha-nim has connected.]
Felt like logging into a game.
Consciousness sank deep into water, rising somewhere familiar—opening my eyes, surprisingly...
Guildmates spotting me cheered happily.
"Whoa! Guild master!"
"Guild master, you're insane! Know where this is?!"